Apparatus and method for coiling and quenching rod

ABSTRACT

Hot rod is coiled and is progressively quenched in apparatus which comprises a coiling basket, laying surface, a reel head for depositing coiled hot rod on the laying surface and a cooling tank with the reel head, laying surface, and coiling basket being movable to and from the coiling tank. Also disclosed is a method for coiling hot rod and progressively quenching the coiled rod.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee William George Sherwood Salem, Ohio May 29, 1969 Sept. 14, 1971 E. W. Bliss Company Canton, Ohio APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COILING AND QUENCHING ROD 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 266/3 R, 148/153, 148/156, 266/6 R Int. Cl C2111 9/52 Field of Search 266/3 R, 4

[56] RCIGRHCB Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,8l0,570 10/1957 Wilson 266/6 R 3,454,268 7/l969 Matsuoka et al. 266/3 R Primary Examiner-Gerald A. Dost AttorneyMeyer, Tilberry and Body I l/ |2 i 11 l l I6 I I I PATENTED SEPI 41971 SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG. I

mvnnon. WILLIAM GEORGE snsnwooo Maya, 7114 a Body m Ill/l/I/f/llff/ ATTORNEYS PATENTEU 8EPI4I97| 3 '504' 591 sum 2 or 3 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. WILLIAM GEORGE SHERWOOD ATTORIGtYS PATENTED SEP] 4 19H SHEET 3 OF 3 mvilroa WILLIAM GEORGE SHERWOOD Mam, 7M 8 Bad;

ATTORNEYS APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COILING AND QUENCHING ROD The present invention relates to coiling hot rod, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for coiling and quenching hot rod.

The art has long recognized the importance of quenching coiled hot rod or hot wire (collectively called rod" herein), in order to minimize the formation of oxide scale and, in some instances, to minimize decarburization by such oxide formation. In carrying this concept into practice, coiled rod is quenched in water after being wound into a complete coil. This procedure is not entirely satisfactory since the convolutions of the rods placed in the coil first are much cooler than are the convolutions layed in the coil later. Consequently, the various portions of the rod are quenched from different temperatures and widely vary metallurgical properties result. For example, the first convolutions may have cooled to a temperature of 1,100 P. while the last convolutions may be at a temperature of l, 1,400 E, or higher,. It is readily apparent that quenching from such different temperatures can impart highly divergent properties in the quenched coils.

Recognizing that quenching of the entire coil produces uneven results, it has been suggested that air or water be sprayed on the hot coil as it is being produced. Although these procedures provided a partial answer for minimizing wide variation in the metallurgical properties of the coiled rod, the rods still displayed varying metallurgical properties since gases are notoriously poor conductors of heat and have low heat capacities and since poor gas-solid contact is afforded by the coiled rod, i.e. gases do not readily pass through the individual convolutions of the coiled rod, with the result being that uneven quenching is obtained. Even more importantly, gases such as air and water vapor are highly oxidizing so that considerable oxidation and scale buildup occur during the slower quenching by such gases. Therefore, these procedures promote the very chemical reactions they were designed to avoid. Because quenching in water is highly efficient, which efficiency is due to more desirable liquid-solid contact and the much larger, heat capacity and heat conductivity of liquid water, water quenching avoids the foregoing problems. It has also been suggested to immediately quench the hot rod in water prior to coiling in order to take advantage of quenching properties of liquid water. However, this procedure is unsatisfactory in that harder material is obtained and difficulties in forming coils are encountered. Although attempts have been made to overcome the foregoing problems and disadvantages, none, as far as I am aware, was entirely satisfactory when carried into practice on a commercial scale.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an improved apparatus for coiling hot rod and quenching the coiled rod in a cooling tank which apparatus includes a coiling basket, a laying surface and a reel head with means for simultaneously displacing the reel head, laying surface and coiling basket relative to the cooling tank.

In accordance with the present invention there is also provided an improved method for coiling hot rod and progressive ly quenching the coiled rod by continuously lowering the coiled rod into a tank containing a quenchant, so that substantially constant metallurgical properties throughout the entire coil are obtained.

A principal object of invention, therefore, is to provide novel and improved apparatus for coiling hot rod and continuously quenching the coiled rod.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for coiling hot rod and for progressively quenching the coiled rod so that a product having substantially constant metallurgical properties is obtained.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for coiling hot rod and for continuously quenching the coiled rod to minimize oxidation thereof.

An even further object of the present invention is to provide a process for coiling hot rod and for continuously quenching the hot rod to provide a product having substantially constant metallurgical properties throughout.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4 schematically show four successive stages of operation of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention for coiling and progressively quenching hot rod; and

FIG. 5 is a top view taken generally along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and showing the use of two pouring reels.

Referring now to the drawings, which are solely for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same, and in which like reference numerals refer to the like parts. FIGS. 1 through 4 show the sequential operation of the apparatus of the present invention. In accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the coiling apparatus comprises a frame 1 l and mounted thereon is housing 12, which contains means, not shown in the drawings, for rotating the pouring reel or reel head 13. Advantageously, the frame 1 l is open at diametrically opposed ends to facilitate removal of coiled rod. The lowermost portion of frame 11 has an inwardly extending flange 14 for carrying stripper plate or laying surface 15 so that the distance between the laying surface and reel head is fixed. The fixed position of the reel head and laying surface provides more efiicient coiling without unduly complicating the coiling apparatus. Fixedly mounted on frame 11 are fluid cylinders 16 with extendable shafts or piston rods 17. Coiling basket 18 with fixedly mounted coiling pins or guide stakes 19 is attached to the ends of the shafts 17 in such a manner that when the shafts 17 are not extended the coiling pins 19 extend through the openings 20 in the laying surface 15 and so that when the shafts 17 are in their fully extended position the coiling basket 18 is lowered to at least a point where the uppermost portions of coiling pins 19 are below laying surface 15. Coiling basket 18 is sufficiently perforated to permit liquid quenchant in cooling tank 23 to contact hot coiled rod. Shaft 21 of fluid cylinder 22 is fixed to housing 12 in such a manner that the reel head 13, the coiling surface 15 and the coiling basket 18 can be simultaneously lowered into and raised out of cooling tank 23. As will be pointed out hereinafter, when the coiling and quenching operations are complete, fluid cylinders 16 are fully extended while fluid cylinder 22 is being fully retracted so that in actual operation the coiling basket 18 is only simultaneously lowered with the laying surface 15 and reel head 13 and is independently raised from the cooling tank 23 by action of the fluid cylinders 16.

Hot rod 28 from a rolling mill or from other metal treating operations is fed through material entry path 29, which can be a series of cones or flanged pipes, as is shown in the drawings, or a single pipe, and then through pinch rolls 24 and 25 into reel head 13 from which it is coiled on coiling surface 15 around coiling pins 19. Pinch roll 24 is mounted in a stationary manner while pinch roll 25 is mounted on shaft 26 of fluid cylinder 27 so that in the extended position pinch rolls 24 and 25 are in nonengaging position whereas when shaft 26 is in the nonextended position pinch rolls 24 and 25 are in engaging position. In operation when the coiling cycle is nearing completion (i.e. the coil is approaching the desired size or the capacity of the apparatus is reached), the pinch rolls 24 and 25 are brought into engaging position by retracting shaft 26 of fluid cylinder 27, and rod 28 is then parted by conventional means, e.g. by a disc shear. After parting and completion of the coiling operation proper, lowering of the laying surface 15 into the cooling tank 23 is continued to insure that entire coil is quenched.

During the entire coiling operation, shafts 17 of fluid cylinders 16 are maintained in the nonextended position so that coiling pins 19 extend through laying surface 15 in such a manner that hot rod 24 can be coiled around coiling pins 19. Shaft 21 of fluid cylinder 22 is progressively extended so that reel head 13, laying surface 15 and coiling basket 18 are gradually lowered into the cooling tank 23, which contains water or other liquid quenchants, whereby the coiled rod is continuously quenched to insure substantially constant metallurgical properties throughout the entire coil. Advantageously, the reel head, the laying surface and the coiling basket are lowered at a rate substantially equal to the rate at which the coil height is being increased so that progressive quenching of the coil occurs at the same time it is being formed. Different means, electrical, mechanical or combinations thereof, can be employed for controlling the rate at which the reel head, laying surface and coiling basket are lowered. For example, the extension of cylinder 22 can be regulated by a timer responsive to the rate of coiling, by a photocell responsive to the height of the coil or by a weightresponsive device. In fact, cylinder 22 can be replaced with an electrical motor which is adapted to lower and raise the coiling apparatus at a controlled rate. Although it is advantageous to lower the reel head, laying surface and the coiling basket at a rate proportional to the rate at which the coil height is being increased, the shaft 21 of fluid cylinder 22 can be lowered at a varying rate to insure that the coiled rod is quenched from the same temperature, employing a thermocouple to control the extension of fluid cylinder 22.

The sequential operation of the apparatus is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4. Referring to FIG. 1 the apparatus is in the initial operating position, i.e. the reel head is rotating at the proper speed as determined by the speed of the incoming material and all elements are in a position suitable for receiving the incoming material. In the starting position, fluid cylinder 22 and fluid cylinders 16 are in the fully retracted position so that the coiling basket is in such a position that the coiling pins 19 extend through laying surface while fluid cylinder 27 is in the fully extended position so that pinch rolls 24 and 25 are in nonengaging position. In FIG. 2 material has entered the reel and a coil 30 is being laid. As coil 30 is formed, the reel head, the laying surface and the coiling basket are lowered at a rate directly proportional to the rate at which the coil height is being increased to insure that the coiled material is quenched at a substantially constant rate. During the portion of the operation depicted in FIG. 2, the cylinder 22 is being continuously extended while cylinders 16 remain retracted and pinch roll cylinder 27 remains extended. FIG. 3 illustrates the posi tion of the apparatus just prior to the parting of hot rod 28. Immediately before the parting operation cylinder 27 is retracted to bring the pinch rolls 24 and 25 into engaging position. After parting and coiling of hot rod 28 is completed the extension of cylinder 22 is continued to insure that the entire coil 30 is quenched. When the entire coil 30 has been quenched, i.e.

when the cylinder 22 has been fully extended, cylinder 22 is fully retracted and cylinders 16 are fully extended as shown in FIG. 4. When the apparatusis in the position shown in FIG. 4, coil 30 can be removed from the apparatus by conventional means such as by pushing. After coil 30 has been removed from the laying surface 15, the apparatus can then be brought to the starting position, by fully retracting cylinder 16 and by fully extending cylinder 27.

When two reels are-employed, hot rod, after being parted, is fed to the second reel while the coil formed at the first reel is being quenched and thereafter discharged. FIG. 5 shows the use of two reels. Quenched coil 30 is pushed from laying surface 15 by pusher 31 which is a fluid cylinder 32 having a fluid extendable shaft 33 on which arcuate member 34 is mounted. Arcuate member 34 has an arc to match the quenched coil 30 so that upon extending shaft 33 of fluid cylinder 32 the quenched coil is transferred to moving conveyor belt 35.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention have been shown and described herein, it should be fully understood that variations and modifications in the invention may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having, thus, described my invention I claim:

1. In combination with an apparatus for coiling hot rod and then quenching coiled rod in a cooling tank, said coiling apparatus including a coiling basket, a laying surface and a reel head for depositing coiled rod on said laying surface: the improvement comprising: means for simultaneously displacing said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket relative to said cooling tank during coiling and quenching.

2. The improvement as described in claim 1 including means for displaying said coiling basket relative to said reel head and laying surface.

3. The improvement as described in claim 1 including means for controlling the rate of displacement of said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket.

4. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said laying surface is fixed with respect to said reel head.

5. The apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said means for displacing'said coiling basket is connected to said coiling basket and is fixed with respect to said laying surface and reel head.

6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said means for displacing said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket is a cylinder.

7. The apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said means for displacing said coiling basket is a pair of cylinders. 

1. In combination with an apparatus for coiling hot rod and then quenching coiled rod in a cooling tank, said coiling apparatus including a coiling basket, a laying surface and a reel head for depositing coiled rod on said laying surface: the improvement comprising: means for simultaneously displacing said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket relative to said cooling tank during coiling and quenching.
 2. The improvement as described in claim 1 including means for displaying said coiling basket relative to said reel head and laying surface.
 3. The improvement as described in claim 1 including means for controlling the rate of displacement of said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket.
 4. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said laying surface is fixed with respect to said reel head.
 5. The apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said means for displacing said coiling basket is connected to said coiling basket and is fixed with respect to said laying surface and reel head.
 6. The apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein said means for displacing said reel head, laying surface and coiling basket is a cylinder.
 7. The apparatus as described in claim 2 wherein said means for displacing said coiling basket is a pair of cylinders. 